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"No," the president’s wife replied, her voice never losing its waredy" She studied me for a moment, then continued, "And, quite frankly, it’s an opportunity, tragic though itof," she said, turning her attention back to Ivy, "I’ave a shts on the nomination and wants your whisper in this administration’s ear"

William It took me a second to process the naave the older wolance toward aze for a ia said, "could you give us a moment?"

When the First Lady of the United States asks you to give her a ive her a moment I went to the bathroo whatever they were discussing

Georgia stood She reached over and laid a hand on Ivy’s shoulder "I’ll let you knohich way Peter is leaning on no Ivy’s shoulder a squeeze "In the round" Then she s over for dinner"

CHAPTER 16

This hat my life had become: on Tuesday, the First Lady insisted I simply had to dine at the White House at some point in the near future; on Wednesday, I sat by myself at lunch Vivvie was absent I probably could have leveragedreputation to obtain a seat at so lunch alone

Solitude didn’t bothermy status as a person to know at Hardwicke

So I ate outside Bythe next day, when Vivvie still didn’t show up for school And the day after that After three days of self-segregation--and a half-dozen declined requests for "fixing"--theto sink in with the rest of the student body I wasn’t ato make friends

I just wanted to be left alone

On the third day of eating lunch by ood kind

"If it isn’t my favorite little psychopath" The boy whose phone I’d confiscated my first day at Hardwicke slid into the seat across fros told me that his friends weren’t far off In the past few days,lunch outside There were three or four slances our way, but Eered

"I can’t help but notice you’re looking a little lonely these days" The boy across from me smiled It wasn’t a friendly sh school fa for the antelope that had been cut off from the rest of the herd I’d threatened him, embarrassed hioing to grab at a place near the top of the Hardwicke hierarchy

Now he’d apparently decided I was fair game

"If you need a friend" He leered at ned to ood friend"

"Keep telling yourself that," I said If he was looking for a reaction other than skepticiset one